UPSET. 127 



porter on with the coach, and he, wishing 

 to make the most of his short drive, never 

 having hold of four horses before, did not 

 stop at the usual place, but came on sixty 

 or seventy yards farther in the village, and 

 pulled up close to the gutter on the near 

 side. 



After descending and exchanging way- 

 bills, and I had seen him off, I got upon 

 the return coach, which was quite full, and 

 heavily loaded on the top with luggage. I 

 spoke to the horses before I seated myself, 

 or had time to take the reins from the 

 hands of the passenger on the box ; the 

 consequence was, the leaders swerved to the 

 near side, the near fore-wheel went into a 

 grating in the channel of the gutter, and 

 the coach, losing her equilibrium, went 

 over, though not before a momentary 

 struggle between the fore and hind part 

 of the coach had broken the perch. 



The horses had not moved half-a-dozen 

 paces, and now stood quite still, and the lug- 



